Out-licensing

CSIC has developed a magnetic nanoparticle which contains at least an active ingredient, which can be used for the treatment of cancer. It can be injected intravenously and targeted to the region of interest using an external magnetic field.

Our technology consists in the use of a magnetic nanoparticle, which contains at least one active ingredient, for the treatment of the cancer disease. The active ingredient used can be a cytokine, for example the gamma-interferon, or any antineoplastic or immunomodulator agent.

The nanoparticles can be used to prepare a pharmaceutical composition, which can be injected intravenously and targeted to the tumor region using external magnetic fields, for the activation of the TH1 response (cytolytic), without releasing cytokine in the rest of the body. This allows obtaining a highly located, therapeutically relevant concentration in the tumor, and reduces at the same time the important side effects associated with the high cytokine concentrations in blood. Therefore, the nanoparticles can be used intravenously instead of subcutaneously, which is the more common administration route used for the cytokines in order to reduce their toxicity, but it is not very efficient.

In our assays we have used nanoparticles with negative superficial charge at physiological pH, and confirmed that the gamma-interferon is still functional after its interaction with the nanoparticle and that is released in the region where the nanoparticles accumulates because of the external magnetic field.

The nanoparticles can be used for the treatment of cancer, and in particular for the treatment of local tumors like breast, colon, lung, uterus, prostate, pancreas, melanoma and/or bladder cancer.

In particular, the use of the magnetic nanoparticles loaded with cytokines for the treatment of cancer solves the problems encountered with other therapeutic systems:

• Important side effects with the systemic administration of cytokines. Moreover, when using systemic administration the level of cytokines at the site of action is much lower than the therapeutic concentration needed, and the increase of the level is only transitory.

• Great therapeutic diversity in the treatments with genetic vectors injected directly into the tumor mass, or with the implantation in the tumor of cells genetically-modified to produce cytokines.

• Significant side effects similar to the systemic administration with the injection of modified-tumor cells or irradiated tumor cells as vaccines.

Moreover, the nanoparticles developed by our researchers have the following advantages:

• Use of the intravenous route, much more efficient that the subcutaneous route

• Possibility to be targeted to the region of interest using an external magnetic field, obtaining a therapeutic relevant concentration in the tumor region, and a lower concentration in the rest of the tissues and/or fluids as compared to the administration of the active ingredient by other routes.

These advantages allow a reduction of the doses and of the levels of risk of diverse secondary effects.

 

Early Stage

Spanish patent application filed

 

§ Patent license

§ Technical and R+D collaboration

§ Commercial agreement with technical assistance

 

 

ES201030138